Circuit controlling means



March 1;, 196% w. s. HINMAN, JR 2,926,611

cmcun' CONTROLLING MEANS Filed 001;. 28, 1944 INVENTOR W/LBUR .5.Hl/VMAN, JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent CIRCUIT CONTROLLING MEAN Wilbur S. Hinman,Jr., Falls Church, Va., assignor to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Navy Application October 28, 1944,Serial No. 560,832

7 Claims. (Cl. 102-701 (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec.266) This invention relates to safety devices, and particularly toimproved switching and locking mechanismsfor controlling the action ofthe fuzing and firing'means of explosive ordnance.

In electrically operable fuzes in which electronic tubes or otherdevices requiring electric current are used, wind-driven generators havebeen employed to develop the electrical energy required. Thepresentinvention aims to provide improved means for preventing arming ofthe fuzing means, by preventing elfective operation of the generator,until a predetermined interval has elapsed after the firing, release orlaunching of the item of ordnance.

An important object of the invention is to provide electromagneticswitching means operable by at least a portion of the output of thegenerator to prevent closure of the electrical circuits leading to thefuzing means until the output of the generator has risen to apredetermined value, which value it can only achieve upon attainment ofa suflicient speed by the generator.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a safety device thecomponents of which are so arranged that during setback or rapidacceleration the inertia of the parts assists in maintaining themechanism in safe condition so that premature arming cannot occur.

Another object is the provision of a locking device adapted to hold therotor of the generator against movement until setback occurs, and whichwill then release the rotor under the influence of setback and maintainsuch release by electro-magnetic action.

Other objects will be apparent upon consideration of this disclosure inits entirety.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary longitudinal view in partsection, of a bomb provided with arming switches arranged in accordancewith the present invention and adapted to be closed by action ofdeveloped generator current.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the nose portion of a rocket provided witha modified form of the invention in which a generator with a normallylocked rotor is so arranged that the rotor is released by setback andmaintained in released condition by electromagnetic action resultingfrom current developed by the generator.

Referring to Figure l of the drawing, generator G is driven by shaft 1which is revolved by vane assembly V, which in turn is rotated by themedium, as air or water, through which the vehicle 4, illustrated as abomb, is travelling. The generator has two windings, a low voltagewinding 2 adapted to supply the filament current and a higher voltagewinding 3 adapted to supply the plate voltage for the vacuum tube VT,which is conventionally illustrated together with an electricallyoperable primer S, as representative of a load. The load might of courseconsist of any other suitable apparatus to be operated. Such a vacuumtube will ordinarily form a part of the fuzing and/or other operatingmeans.

Electromagnet 7 is shunted across the lead wires 5 and 6 from the highvoltage winding 3. The armature 8 is pivoted at 9 to supporting plate 10which may be insulated or of insulating material. An insulating strip orsheet 11 of trapezoidal form and which may be made of fibre or othersuitable insulating material is attached by rivets (undesignated) toarmature 8 and carries switch contact blades 12 and 13. Armature 8 andthe switch blades are normally yieldably held in the open circuitposition shown by tension spring 14, which urges strip 11 against stop15.

High voltage lead wire 5 is connected to switch contact 16, and fromcooperating switch contact 17 a wire 18 leads to one of the high voltageterminals Eh. The

other generator lead 6 is directly connected to the otherv high voltageterminal as shown.

Wire 20, connected to one of the low voltage supply voltage windingdirectly to the otherlow voltage supply terminal. The switch is urgedtoward the open circuit. position by spring 14, as indicated above.

The vacuum tube VT and squib S are indicated as .connected in aconventional manner to the power,

supply terminals Eh, El.

In operation, when the generator has built up sufiieient'; voltage,magnet 7 is energized and armature 8 is quickly,

attracted to it. Where setbackis present, as in a rocket or shellprojectile, setback forces will augment the-effect of the spring andwill in fact prevent closure ofthe switch until setback is over.

the flux of electromagnet 7 at an adequate level.

-In Figure 2, rocket 25, illustrative ofrapidly accel eratedtypes ofmissiles or vehicles, carries agenerator 26 driven by shaft 27 and vaneassembly-28., Solenoid- 29 shunted across the generator output hasaplunger type armature, 3Q slidably keyed in the tubulan coil form,

on which the solenoid is wound. Compression spring 31 urges the solenoidarmature 30 outwardly so that attached prongs 32 engage suitable boresin the rotor of the generator to lock the rotor against movement. Whenthe rocket is rapidly accelerated, setback retracts the plunger 30,freeing prongs 32 and releasing the rotor. Vane assembly 28 then quicklybrings the rotor up to speed. The current generated is fed'to solenoid29 through lines 33 and 34 and the magnetic action of the solenoid thenretains the plunger and prongs 32 in the released position.

Conductors 33 and 34 are extended to supply energy to the electricalcomponents (unshown) of the fuze. An additional winding can of course beused if desired.

The output of the generator may also be used to actuate mechanicalapparatus such as the rotatable powder train interrupter 35. In thearrangement diagrammatically shown in the drawing, the interrupter isurged toward armed position by a spring 36 but held in unarmed positionby a catch 37 releasable by an electromagnet 38 when the output of thegenerator is applied thereto. 7

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In combination with an item of ordnance incorporating electricallyoperable components, means including a generator having a rotatable partand arranged to sup- Patented Mar. 1, 1960- When armature '8 is; pulledto magnet 7 both the high and low voltage circuits are. closed, and theyare maintained closed'solong as the; potential of the generator remainssufiicient to n aintain ply current to such components, driving meansfor rotating such part of the generator, releasable means for'holdingsaid part of the generator against unwanted rotation, means responsiveto bodily movement of the item of ordnance for releasing said holdingmeans, and means also responsive to actuation of said driving means forholding the releasable means in released position.

2. Means as set forth in claim 1 in which said holding means includes aspring-pressed locking element, said locking element being urged towardreleased position by setback, said means for holding the releasablemeans in released position comprising electromagnetic means operable bycurrent from the generator.

3. In a control device for delaying the arming of a fuzing means in anitem of ordnance subject to acceleration, a generator for energizing thefuzing means, means for driving said generator, means for countering theeffect of said driving means, means responsive to the accoloration ofthe item of ordnance for releasing said countering means to permit theactuation of said generator, and means responsive to the actuation ofsaid generator for retaining the countering means in its releasedcondition.

4. In a control device for delaying the arming of an ordnance fuzingmeans in an item of ordnance subject to acceleration, a; generator forenergizing the fuzing means and including a rotor, mechanical meansconnected on one end of the rotor for imparting motion thereto, meansfor locking the rotor against movement, means responsive to theacceleration of said item of ordnance for releasing said locking means,and means responsive to the resultant actuation of said generator forretaining the locking means in its released condition.

5. In a control device for delaying the arming of an ordnance fuzingmeans in an item of ordnance subject to acceleration, a generator forenergizing the fuzing means and including a rotor, mechanical meansmounted on' one end of said rotor for imparting motion thereto, asolenoid shunted across an output of said generator, an armatureslidably mounted in said solenoid for movement longitudinally of thedirection of travel of the item of ordnance, means for preventing therotation of said armature, resilient means for urging said armature intoengagement with the other end of the rotor to lock said rotor againstmovement, said armature moving out of engagement with said rotor upon apredetermined acceleration of said item of ordnance to permit theactuation of said generator, said solenoid being energized by theresultant output of said generator to retain said armature in aretracted position.

6. In a control device for delaying the arming of an ordnance fuzingmeans mounted in an item of ordnance subject to acceleration, agenerator mounted for energizing the hazing means and including'airotorshaft having a plurality of bores in one end thereof, mechanical meansmounted on one end of said rotor shaft for imparting motion thereto, asolenoid shunted acrossan output of said generator, an armature slidablymounted in said solenoid for movement. longitudinally of the directionof travel of said item of ordnance, means for locking the armatureagainst rotation, a plurality of prongs mounted on one end of saidarmature for engagement with said bores, resilient means for urging saidarmature and prongs toward said shaft to lock the shaft againstmovement, said armature moving away from said rotor upon a predeterminedacceleration of said item of ordnance to permit the actuation of saidgenerator, said solenoid being energized by the resultant output of thegenerator to retain said armature in a retracted position.

7. in a control device for delaying the armingof fuzing means mounted inan item of ordnance subject to acceleration, a generator forenergizingthe fuzing means:-

and' including a rotor shaft mounted therein, mechanical means connectedon one end of the rotor shaft for imparting rotation thereto, a solenoidshunted across an output of said generator, an armature slidably mountedwith said solenoid for movement longitudinally of the direction oftravel of said item of ordnance, means for locking the armature againstrotation, means on said armature for locking the rotor shaft againstrotation, said armature being responsive to the acceleration of saiditem of ordnance for releasing said locking means, and said solenoidbeing responsive to the resultant actuation of said generator forretaining the locking means in its released condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,089 Great.Britain Jan. 13, 1912 6,757 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1912 304,254 Germany.Oct. 1, 1920

